Wisconsin: A Place with a Past

2 Wisconsin: A Place with a Past The material in this chapter is mainly devoted to the geography and topography of Wisconsin its location in the United States, North America, and the world at large; its rivers and landforms; its soil types and vegetation. The following activities will help students develop and expand the ideas presented in this chapter. Activity 2.1 Your Cosmic Address Overview This activity reinforces and expands concepts presented in Locating Wisconsin in the United States and Locating Wisconsin in the World (Wisconsin: Our State, Our Story, pp. 16 19). In this activity students determine a Cosmic Address that locates them within their state, country, continent, planet, and universe. Management Materials Student Activity 2.1 (Teacher Page 1; Student Pages 1 2) Grouping Whole class Small group Individual, supervised or independent Activity 2.2 County, Country, or Continent Overview Part 1 of this two-part activity helps students master the distinctions among three key terms: county, country, and continent. Part 2 helps students familiarize themselves with the notion of a Cosmic Address for places outside Wisconsin and the United States. Management Materials Student Activity 2.2 (Teacher Page 1; Student Pages 1 2) Globe or large-scale world map Grouping Whole class Small group Individual, supervised or independent Chapter 2 Wisconsin: A Place with a Past Teacher Materials: Table of Contents 1

Activity 2.3 A Wisconsin Puzzle Overview With the addition of material from appropriate reference materials, this activity makes an excellent follow-up to students study of Wisconsin s waterways and land regions in Wisconsin: Our State, Our Story, pp. 28 35. Management Materials Student Activity 2.3 (Teacher Pages 1 2; Student Pages 1 7) Reference materials about Wisconsin regions, such as Learning from the Land, Working with Water, and similar works Scissors, paste, and extra paper or poster board for each group Grouping Small group Activity 2.4 Where Would You Like to Live? Overview Why do people choose to live in a certain place? Sometimes people choose to live near friends or relatives. Other times, they choose to be near a place where they can find work. But what about long ago, in the days when people from other parts of the United States or even from Europe were first settling in Wisconsin? These people had no information other than the land itself the kind of soil, the distance to a river, and so on. In this activity students will use features of the land itself to help choose a place to live. In this way, the activity provides a culminating project for this chapter, giving students a chance to think critically about how geography affects the choices that people make about where and how they live. Management Materials Student Activity 2.4 (Teacher Pages 1 2; Student Pages 1 6) Writing paper Grouping Whole class Small group Individual, supervised or independent Chapter 2 Wisconsin: A Place with a Past Teacher Materials: Table of Contents 2

2 Wisconsin: A Place with a Past Activity 2.1: Your Cosmic Address Teacher Materials Preparation/Organization The only materials needed for this activity are the two student worksheets for Activity 2.1. The activity may be done with the whole class, small groups of 3 to 5 students, supervised individuals, or individual students working on their own. Procedure 1. Hand out copies of Student Pages 1 2 and work with students through the instructions at the top of the first page. (Note: If your students live in an area that uses RFD or fire road numbers, make sure they understand how this system relates to the house numbers and street names of other addresses.) 2. Read and discuss the directions with students, making sure students understand how to do the activity. Complete the first line or two with them. Then give students time to complete the activity on their own. When students have finished, ask volunteers to share their responses, using this as an opportunity to correct errors and reconcile any discrepancies that occur. Answers Student answers will vary, but each student should have filled in each line of his or her cosmic address. Make sure students understand that their cosmic addresses include two hemispheres in this case, Northern and Western. Activity 2.1 Teacher Page 1

Name Date Activity 2.1 Your Cosmic Address When you see your address on something that comes in the mail, it usually looks like this: Name I. M. Here House number, street, and apartment 1234 Main Street Apt 456 Town or city, state, and ZIP code Anytown, Wisconsin 53500 If you think about it, though, there is more to where you live than this. You also have a cosmic address. It includes your county and your country. It also includes your continent (North America, South America, etc.), as well as the hemispheres in which you live (Northern or Southern, Eastern or Western) and your planet. Fill in the following to write your complete, cosmic address: Name Street number Street name Apt Village or City County (NOT country) State (abbreviated) Zip code Country (NOT county) Continent Hemispheres Planet Activity 2.1 Student Page 1

Name Date Here are some more interesting facts about your cosmic address. The Earth is one of the eight planets in our solar system. Our solar system is one of more than 100 billion star systems in the Milky Way Galaxy. The Milky Way is one of the largest of about 30 galaxies in the Local Group of galaxies. The Local Group lies near the outskirts of the Local Supercluster, which is also called the Virgo Supercluster. To learn even more about your cosmic address, take a look at this web site: http://www.atlasoftheuniverse.com/ Activity 2.1 Student Page 2

2 Wisconsin: A Place with a Past Activity 2.2: County, Country, or Continent Teacher Materials Preparation/Organization A globe or a large-scale map of the world as well as the worksheets for Activity 2.2 are needed for this activity. The activity may be done by the class as a whole or by small groups, as well as by supervised individual students and those working independently. Procedure 1. Distribute Student Pages 1 2. Then guide students through Part 1. When you have finished, you may wish to help students make lists of the names (and spellings) of various counties, countries, and continents. 2. Direct students to Part 2 and help them complete Steps 1 to 3. Make sure that students understand how to follow the line of 45 North Latitude. (Note: You might want to have them trace the line with their fingers.) 3. Next have a volunteer read aloud the directions for Step 4. Make sure students understand that they are to continue following the same line of latitude eastward. (Note: You might suggest that when students follow 45 North Latitude across a broad expanse, like the Atlantic Ocean, they should place one finger on the first country and then move the finger along the line until they get to the next country.) 4. Then let students do Step 4 on their own. When they have finished, ask volunteers to share their answers, making sure they realize that the next country is France and that it is part of the continent of Europe. Finally, have students complete the remaining step on their own. 5. You may wish to have students continue further, either on their own or with your guidance. If so, emphasize that as students continue to follow the line of 45 North Latitude they: (a) will pass through many countries. (b) will have to look carefully to determine which countries they pass through. (c) may pass through some countries more than once. Answers Part 1: Answers will vary. Part 2: Students should begin to trace the line in the United States (North America) and then continue to Canada (North America). After students cross the Atlantic Ocean they should move on to France (Europe) and then through the northern part of Italy (Europe). Students following the line of 45 North Latitude beyond this will cross through the following countries in Europe: Croatia, Romania, Ukraine, and Russia. In Asia they will cross through Kazakhstan, China, Mongolia, and Japan. Activity 2.2 Teacher Page 1

Name Date Activity 2.2 County, Country, or Continent Part 1 County... country... continent... The words sound a lot alike. But guess what? They re not the same. Exactly how do a county, a country, and a continent differ? 1. A county is a part of a state. Wisconsin has 72 counties. Which Wisconsin county do you live in? 2. On page 17 of Wisconsin: Our State, Our Story, you learned that a country has both physical and political boundaries. A physical boundary is something like a range of mountains, a river, or even an ocean that separates one area from another; a political boundary is a human-made border of some kind. The United States has both physical and political boundaries with its neighbors. Name one country other than the United States. 3. A continent is a much larger land mass. Usually, several countries make up a continent. For example, the countries of Canada and the United States of America are part of the continent of North America. So are other countries such as Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Costa Rica, and Panama. Name one continent other than North America. Activity 2.2 Student Page 1

Name Date Part 2 Now use a map or globe to explore countries and continents on your own. 1. Look at the chart below. There are two columns: Country and Continent. 2. On a world map or a globe, find the line of 45 North Latitude and as it passes through Wisconsin. On the chart, fill in United States under Country. Next, under Continent, fill in the name of the continent that the United States is in: North America. 3. Now follow the line of 45 North Latitude eastward. What is the next country you come to? It s Canada. Write the name Canada on the next line of the Country column. On what continent is Canada? Canada is part of North America, so write North America in the Continent column. 4. Keep going along the line of 45 North Latitude. Follow the line all the way across the Atlantic Ocean. What is the next country you come to? Add its name in the Country column. Add the name of its continent in the Continent column. 5. Now continue eastward to the next countries. What are there? Are they on the same continent? Which one? Write the names on the chart. Countries and Continents along the Line of 45 North Latitude Country Continent Activity 2.2 Student Page 2

2 Activity 2.3: A Wisconsin Puzzle Wisconsin: A Place with a Past Teacher Materials Preparation/Organization Students will need both the worksheets for Activity 2.3 and reference materials containing information about Wisconsin s physical regions. (Works such as Learning from the Land and Working with Water are good for this.) Students will also need scissors, paste, and additional paper or poster board. You will need to form five groups. The activity is best done by groups of three to five students. (Note: There are several worksheets involved in the activity. You might wish to have one or more students help you prepare these in advance.) Procedure 1. Divide students into five groups and assign each group a specific Wisconsin region. Pass out the appropriate map (Student Pages 2 6) to each group and direct students to the research materials you have gathered. 2. Explain that each group will study the vegetation, soil, minerals, and other characteristics of its assigned region. Tell students that they will find information in the research materials you have provided, such as Wisconsin: Our State, Our Story and other books about Wisconsin, such as Learning from the Land: Wisconsin Land Use and Working with Water: Wisconsin Waterways. 3. Have each group appoint one scribe to fill in the chart/key at the bottom of that group s map. 4. Then tell students to conduct their research, reminding the scribes to fill in the charts/keys with the information that is found. When students have finished, have each group illustrate its map with symbols to represent the information. Then have students draw symbols in the key to show what their pictures represent. For example, if the vegetation of a region is prairie grass, students can draw tufts of grass. If the region is hilly, they can draw hills. If the soil is sandy, they can make diagonal lines. If the region has a great deal of a certain kind of mineral, students can make up a symbol such as black squares for lead for that mineral. (Note: You might wish to point out that some regions may have more than one type of vegetation, mineral, soil, etc. Explain that students should list all of those types and put the symbols in the areas in which each type is found.) 5. Make a photocopy of each completed regional map and have each group carefully cut out its region from the photocopy. Activity 2.3 Teacher Page 1

6. Provide the class with a piece of poster board or a large piece of paper and have the groups work together to assemble the jigsaw pieces into a one large map. (Note: Have students begin in the northern part of the state with the Lake Superior Lowland and then work south.) When the pieces are properly arranged, have students paste them to the paper or poster board. 7. Distribute a copy of the Physical Regions of Wisconsin Chart (Student Page 7) to each student and have students fill in information for the region they studied. 8. Then form new small groups, with each group containing at least one representative from each of the five regions. Ask students to present information about their regions to the other members of their group. As presenters do this, have the other students fill in their charts with the information provided. 9. Finally, have students turn in their completed charts for assessment. Answers Student charts should contain the following information: Lake Superior Lowland Vegetation: forests, mostly pine and birch; Topography: flat near Superior and Ashland, then sloping gently toward the southern shore of Lake Superior; Soil Type: clay; Minerals: sandstone for use in building construction. Northern Highland Vegetation: forests; Topography: hilly, with ridges and valleys; Soil Type: sand and stone; Minerals: copper. Central Plain Vegetation: plains with some forest; Topography: mostly lowlying land with some tall cliffs; Soil Type: silt and loam; Minerals: copper. Western Upland Vegetation: plains, marshes, and some forests; Topography: ridges and coulees (deep valleys), hills; Soil Type: silt and loam, fertile silt and clay; Minerals: lead and zinc. Eastern Ridges and Lowlands Vegetation: plains and forests; Topography: limestone ridges separated by lowlands; Soil Type: fertile silt and clay; Minerals: copper. Activity 2.3 Teacher Page 2

Name Date Activity 2.3 A Wisconsin Puzzle For this activity you will be working in a group to learn about one of Wisconsin s regions. 1. Work with your group to gather information about the physical properties of your assigned Wisconsin region. Then help your group s scribe use that information to fill in the chart at the bottom of the page. When you have finished, follow your teacher s instructions to illustrate your region s map. Draw symbols in the chart to create a key for your map. 2. When your teacher calls the groups together, work with them to assemble the pieces into a map of Wisconsin. Be sure to be careful when you cut out your region! 3. Your teacher will then form new groups. You and the other members of your new group will share what you ve learned about your regions. Carefully fill in the information needed for the Physical Regions of Wisconsin Chart (Student Page 7). Activity 2.3 Student Page 1

Name Date Puzzle Piece: Western Upland Directions: Fill in information and symbols in the map key below. Then put symbols on the map piece. Region Vegetation Topography Soil Type Minerals Other Western Upland KEY Activity 2.3 Student Page 2

Name Date Puzzle Piece: Eastern Ridges and Lowlands Directions: Fill in information and symbols in the map key below. Then put symbols on the map piece. Region Vegetation Topography Soil Type Minerals Other Eastern Ridges and Lowlands KEY Activity 2.3 Student Page 3

Name Date Puzzle Piece: Central Plain Directions: Fill in information and symbols in the map key below. Then put symbols on the map piece. Region Vegetation Topography Soil Type Minerals Other Central Plain KEY Activity 2.3 Student Page 4

Name Date Puzzle Piece: Lake Superior Lowland Directions: Fill in information and symbols in the map key below. Then put symbols on the map piece. Region Vegetation Topography Soil Type Minerals Other Lake Superior Lowland KEY Activity 2.3 Student Page 5

Name Date Puzzle Piece: Northern Highland Directions: Fill in information and symbols in the map key below. Then put symbols on the map piece. Region Vegetation Topography Soil Type Minerals Other Northern Highland KEY Activity 2.3 Student Page 6

Name Date Physical Regions of Wisconsin Chart Region Vegetation Topography Soil Type Minerals Other Lake Superior Lowland Northern Highland Central Plain Western Upland Eastern Ridges and Lowlands Activity 2.3 Student Page 7

2 Activity 2.4: Where Would You Like to Live? Wisconsin: A Place with a Past Teacher Materials Preparation/Organization Students will need Students Pages 1 6 for Activity 2.4. They will also need a sheet of ruled paper for writing a short assessment paragraph. This activity is best done in groups of 3 to 5 students, followed by a class discussion and an individual writing assignment. Procedure 1. Form groups of 3 to 5 students and have students imagine that each group represents a different pioneer family coming to Wisconsin about the year 1840. Explain that at that time period there were few people to advise settlers about where to live. Pioneers had to make decisions solely on the information they saw on different maps. 2. Distribute one copy of the Rivers of Wisconsin map (Student Page 1) to each group. Have students discuss with one another how they might use the information on the map to help choose a good place to live. Ask questions such as: Would you want to live on the banks of one of these rivers? Which one? What benefits would this have? What problems might arise? 3. Have students discuss these issues with the members of their group. Next have one student in each group use a pencil to lightly mark the place the group has chosen to settle. Then have students work together to answer the questions at the bottom of Student Page 1. Have a second scribe write in the group s responses. 4. Now distribute the Soil Types of Wisconsin map (Student Page 2). Ask students what information this map shows. Tell the groups to consider how the new information might change their choice of a place to live. Why? When students have finished their discussion and marked a new location to settle, have them work together to answer the questions at the bottom of Student Page 2. 5. For the Vegetation of Wisconsin map (Student Page 3) ask students if they would rather live where there are lots of trees or where there is prairie. Why? Have them discuss the pros and cons of each location with the members of their groups. As they discuss the issues, have them mark their new location on the map and answer the questions, just as they did with the first two maps. 6. Have students repeat the same procedure for the next two maps, Minerals Mined in Wisconsin (Student Page 4) and Growing Seasons of Wisconsin (Student Page 5). Activity 2.4 Teacher Page 1

7. When students have completed the maps, have each group place all of their maps side by side. Point out that groups may have changed their choices as they learned new information. Have each group review the pros and cons of the different places chosen. 8. Then have each group mark the overall best choice for settlement on the blank map of Wisconsin (Student Page 6). Invite groups to compare where they chose to settle. Discuss the choices with the class as a whole, having groups explain the reasoning behind their decisions. Did all groups choose to live in approximately the same place? What factors proved important in each group s decision? How did the members of the group decide which factors were more important than others? 9. Then, as a class, discuss the following: How would people today choose where to live? Would people today find this same information important? What other information would people of today find important? 10. Conclude by having each student write a short paragraph about how this activity helped him or her think about the different ways in which land was and can be used. Answers Answers will vary. Students should, however, be able to support their decisions with reasons and explanations. Activity 2.4 Teacher Page 2

Name Date Activity 2.4 Where Would You Like to Live? Rivers of Wisconsin 1. Where would you like to live? Explain your choice. Mark the place with an X. 2. What additional information would help you make a better decision? Activity 2.4 Student Page 1

Name Date Soil Types of Wisconsin KEY 1. Where would you like to live? Explain your choice. Mark the place with an X. Northern Sandy and Stoney Lands Central Sandy and Peaty Lands Central Silty and Loamy Lands Lake Superior Red Clay Lands Rolling Fertile Silty and Clayey Lands 2. What additional information would help you make a better decision? Activity 2.4 Student Page 2

Name Date Vegetation of Wisconsin, Before 1850 KEY Forest Prairie 1. Where would you like to live? Explain your choice. Mark the place with an X. 2. What additional information would help you make a better decision? Activity 2.4 Student Page 3

Name Date Minerals Mined in Wisconsin KEY Lead and Zinc Copper 1. Where would you like to live? Explain your choice. Mark the place with an X. 2. What additional information would help you make a better decision? Activity 2.4 Student Page 4

Name Date Growing Seasons of Wisconsin KEY Days < 80 80 100 100 120 120 140 140 160 > 160 1. Where would you like to live? Explain your choice. Mark the place with an X. 2. What additional information would help you make a better decision? Activity 2.4 Student Page 5

Name Date Blank Map of Wisconsin Activity 2.4 Student Page 6

Name Date Part A 1. Why is the Ice Age Trail important? Chapter 2 Assessment 2. Write the letter of the correct definition next to each word. elevation hemisphere region glacier topography moraine silt watershed a. a ridge or long hill that was once the side or edge of a glacier b. a defined area of place that has common features c. the area of land that drains into a waterway d. the detailed description of physical features of an area e. the height of land above sea level f. fine particles of soil washed along by flowing water to settle at the bottom or a river or lake g. a giant sheet of ice formed in mountain valleys or near the or South poles h. half a sphere Wisconsin: Our State, Our Story Chapter 2 Assessment

Name Date Part B 1. Look through your Geography Picture Game and select three words. Write those words in the space provided here, along with their definitions in your own words, and your drawing. a. Word It means It looks like b. c. 2. Write the name of the physical region next to its description. Lake Superior Lowland, Northern Highland, Central Plain, Western Upland, Eastern Ridges and Lowlands a. includes an unglaciated area. b. includes Washington Island. c. is the largest of the state s five regions. d. includes the Apostle Islands. e. is in the middle of the state. Wisconsin: Our State, Our Story Chapter 2 Assessment